Abia South: I'll defeat Ikpeazu, Abaribe, APC candidate vows

• Published date: 11 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Blessing Nwagba is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Abia South senatorial election. She is facing Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In this interview with SUNNY NWANKWO, she speaks on why she is confident of victory

How are you going to defeat Gov. Ikpeazu and Senator Abaribe who many have said are the two major contenders in the Abia South senatorial election?

The question should be why do I want to go to the Senate to represent my people?

Abia South senatorial zone is an area that I have a vast knowledge of. When I was the state vice chairman and the zonal chairman of the PDP in Abia South, it was at that time that we elected Senator Adolphus Wabara. We worked and he went to the Senate. Abia South is an area where I have played politics and I know our problems. The essence of going to represent the people is to be able to identify and possibly solve their problems. I know the problems and answers to each of the six local government areas - Aba North, Aba South, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West - respectively if given the opportunity.

Aba as a city has two local government areas; Aba North and South. And you may wish to know that Aba has not represented this senatorial district all through life; Obingwa has done 16 years which Abaribe did. Ukwa did eight years through Senator Adolphus Wabara.

Aba has the largest concentration of economic activities. It has the highest voting population. Aba, as we speak, has the highest voting population, the only thing is that the residents don't cast votes. Aba, the goose that lays the golden egg needs to be represented. We can make Aba truly, the Japan of Africa. We can draw development plans that can turn things around not just in the state, but the country as a whole. You are aware that people are leaving Aba because of several issues. We can turn things around in Aba to generate enough internally generated revenue (IGR) so that the state can have more money even to develop Aba. You can attract international investors to develop Aba and Aba will become the true Japan of Africa. We can develop the Azumini Blue River to enable the Aba business community to have a port closer to them. Through the port, they can move imports and export.

The economy of Aba can be turned around with the right leaders at the National Assembly. When a leader uses his or her position to attract development...